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. " . PEREGRINE FALCON Another federally protected raptor, the peregrine falcon, also occurs in the Dolores Canyon. An aerie is located approximately ten miles downstream from the Dove Creek pump plant, approximately 44 miles downstream from McPhee Dam (pers. comm. Jerry Craig, CDOW, 1993). Further downstream, two other nesting pairs are located in a stretch of river between Slick Rock, Colorado. and Bedrock, Colorado. The canyon environment of the Dolores River drainage from the dam to Bradfield Bridge provides suitable nesting habitat, but no active nests are known to occur within this reach (pers. comm. Jerry Craig, CDOW, 1993) . Peregrine falcons are unlikely to be affected by any of the pool management. alternatives, because these falcons are not directly dependent on the riparian system. Their primary prey are relatively small birds, some of which are likely to be found along the river corridor. However, none of the pool management alternatives under consideration are exp'ected to alter the vegetation communities of the Dolores River floodplain and; therefore, should not have any effect on the bird communities inhabiting them. Reclamation concludes that none of the pool management alternatives described above would effect the peregrine falcon. MEXICAN SPOTTED OWL TwO stretches of the Dolores River have been surveyed for the Mexican spotted owl (Boyle and Franklin, 1993), federally listed as a threatened species. The first stretch extends from Salter Canyon, six miles downstream of the dam to Bradfield Bridge (a distance of about six miles); the second from the Dove Creek pump plant (thirty-three miles downstream of the dam) to Joe Davis Hill (a distance of about ten miles). No spotted owls were discovered within the river corridor. The closest nesting pair known in the general area is within Mesa Verde National Park, approximately 40 miles south of McPhee Reservoir. The closest suspected individual identified was in the Beaver Creek drainage near McPhee Reservoir (pers. comm. Dave Cook, USFS, 1993). This subspecies feeds, nests and roosts in multi-layered, old-growth coniferous forest within deep, rocky canyons. It's primary food source is small mammals, such as woodrats, typical of that habitat type. The Mexican spotted owl is not believed to be dependent on the riparian corridor (pers. comm. Dave Cook, USFS, 1993) and, if present, would not be affected by any of the pool management alternatives described above. SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHER Another species, the southwestern willow fly catcher, has been proposed for listing under the Act. This subspecies, although not known to presently occur in Colorado, was reported to historically to have occurred near Rifle, Co (pers. comm. Patty Schrader, USFWS, 1994). However, it is not known if this species currently maintains a breeding population in southwest Colorado. No surveys have been done along the Dolores River for this subspecies and "it is unknown whether it occurs along the stretch of river to be affected. Their preferred habitat is extensive and dense riparian shrub, particularly willow communities, although they are known to use tamarisk. While willow communities are present throughout the Dolores drainage, they occur on a sporadic basis. Since none of the pool management alternatives discussed above would affect the existing riparian zone, none of these alternatives would be expected to have any effect on this subspecies. COLORADO SQUAWFISH Of the four federally protected fish species addressed in this assessment, only the Colorado squawfish has been historically reported from the Dolores 12 'I